time-keeper


Albishorn Marinagraph: The Imaginary Vintage Regatta Chronograph that Masters Time and Tide

August 2025


Albishorn Marinagraph: The Imaginary Vintage Regatta Chronograph that Masters Time and Tide

Albishorn unveils the Marinagraph, a bold fusion of skin diver durability and regatta chronograph precision. Drawing inspiration from the iconic 1958 America’s Cup and the legendary yacht Columbia, this Imaginary Vintage® timepiece imagines a “missing link” in horological history.

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lbishorn unveils its fourth chronograph: the Marinagraph—an imaginary regatta timepiece that unites the rugged capability of a skin diver with the precision timing of a regatta chronograph.

Available in two distinct executions, the Marinagraph Classic Racing captures the pure essence of the design, while the Paraíba Racing elevates it further with a vivid green dial perfectly matched to its green bezel.

More than a mere instrument, the Marinagraph is conceived as a steadfast relentless demands of ocean life. Equally at home at the starting line of a yacht race or in the stillness beneath the waves, it thrives wherever land yields to water.

At Albishorn, we create vintage watches that never existed. Our Imaginary Vintage® concept explores alternate histories, crafting “missing links” in watchmaking—timepieces that integrate seamlessly into horological heritage while expressing a distinct and original character.

The Marinagraph is one such creation: the untold chapter in the evolution of the skin diver chronograph.

Albishorn Marinagraph: The Imaginary Vintage Regatta Chronograph that Masters Time and Tide

The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy, first contested in 1851. After decades of dominance by the New York Yacht Club, the competition was interrupted by World War II. The 1958 edition marked the race’s return after a long hiatus, revitalizing the world of competitive sailing. For the first time, 12- Metre class yachts were introduced, replacing the older 15-Metre designs. These new vessels offered improved agility and brought a new level of balance and excitement to the competition.

The 1958 race was more than a sporting event—it represented a broader renewal of innovation in yacht design, navigation strategy, and onboard instrumentation. As sailing entered a new era, the demand for precision and reliability extended beyond the boat itself to the tools used by the crew.

One of the standout vessels of that race was Columbia, the American yacht representing the New York Yacht Club. Designed by Olin Stephens and skippered by Briggs Cunningham, Columbia was built specifically for the 12-Metre era and successfully defended the Cup against the British challenger Sceptre. Among her many innovations, Columbia featured an aluminum mast—an unconventional choice at the time, but one that reduced weight and increased performance. This forward-thinking design echoed a larger trend across engineering disciplines, including watchmaking, where high- performance materials and exacting mechanics were becoming the new standard.

The 1958 race inspired Albishorn to imagine a tool that could have accompanied Columbia’s crew on the water—a chronograph conceived for the intense demands of pre-race timing and in-race decision-making. Thus was born the Marinagraph, a fictional design tribute rooted in the technical spirit of the era.

For a crew like Columbia’s, precision was everything. Every element of the yacht— from its hull to its mast—served a singular purpose: to give the team an edge. In that same spirit, the Marinagraph was designed with features tailored to yacht racing at the highest level.

At its core is a 10-minute retrograde countdown function—ideal for the tense countdown before a race start. Unlike conventional countdown timers that reset automatically, the Marinagraph’s mechanism disengages at zero, freezing the hand in place. This subtle but vital feature prevents visual confusion at the starting gun, allowing crews to act with absolute clarity.

A second key feature is the Marinagraph’s large, high-contrast tide indication bezel. In the shifting waters off Newport, where tides play a critical strategic role, rapid readability is essential. The Marinagraph delivers on this need with a layout designed for immediate comprehension, even in turbulent conditions.

Finally, the choice of aluminum for the bezel and chronograph pusher pays subtle homage to Columbia’s mast—a nod to the shared spirit of innovation across disciplines. Just as Columbia embraced new materials to gain a competitive edge, the Marinagraph embodies that same pursuit of progress, imagined through the lens of precision watchmaking.

Available in two distinct executions, the Marinagraph Classic Racing captures the pure essence of the design, while the Paraíba Racing elevates it further with a vivid green dial perfectly matched to its green bezel.

The vision was to create a chronograph that unites the rugged spirit of a skin diver with the precision and sophistication of a true regatta timer. Every detail had to remain faithful to the period, meeting the exacting demands of navigators, while introducing an entirely original creation.

Thus emerged the Marinagraph: a monopusher nautical chronograph distinguished by a singular, innovative design and a patented regatta function— crafted for those who navigate both time and tide.

The dial of the Marinagraph is conceived with an uncompromising commitment to legibility and function. Every index and marker remains fully intact—never cut, never obscured—offering the clarity of a classic three-hand watch within the complexity of a fully capable chronograph. Its distinctive layout is without precedent, a deliberate tribute to the precision instruments of its era. Shaped in homage to the brand’s mountain emblem, the markers and hands are generously coated with Super-LumiNova® for exceptional visibility in all conditions.

Enhancing this clarity—and unlike any other mechanical chronograph wristwatch—the Marinagraph integrates a patented 10-minute retrograde regatta countdown at 7 o’clock, complemented by a colour-accented aperture at 3 o’clock that serves as a running indicator.

While powered by an automatic movement, the Marinagraph retains a remarkably sleek profile—measuring just 13 mm in height, including its box-shaped sapphire crystal. Crafted from stainless steel, its case embodies a harmonious balance of robustness and elegance. The interplay of brushed and polished finishes creates a refined contrast, enhancing its visual presence, while every edge is meticulously chamfered and polished to convey a true haute horlogerie aesthetic.

Positioned at 10 o’clock, the crown ensures effortless winding and time-setting while remaining unobtrusive during critical manoeuvres.

Just beside it, at 9 o’clock on the case flank, sits a red aluminium pusher—subtly integrated into the design. This placement allows it to be naturally operated by the thumb, widely regarded as the most efficient digit for engaging a chronograph. Its generous dimensions make activation effortless, while lending the watch an additional touch of individuality .

The caseback is engraved with an intricate depiction of a sailing yacht, underscoring the watch’s nautical spirit.

A defining feature of the Marinagraph is its stainless steel rotating bezel with an aluminium insert, calibrated with a tide scale. Designed to track the tidal cycle over a 24-hour period, the bezel is divided into two segments:

White markers, generously filled with Super-LumiNova®, denote the first 12 hours following the last high tide.

Red markers indicate the subsequent 12 hours.

This configuration not only enables tracking of the full 24-hour tidal cycle, but also allows the wearer to estimate the relative tide height at any given hour.

The Marinagraph incorporates a refined and reliable proprietary automatic mono- pusher chronograph movement, expertly crafted in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Once fully wound, it offers an astounding 64 hours of power reserve.

The movement was designed as a mono-pusher chronograph, therefore featuring a single button to control all the chronograph functions (start, stop, and reset) rather than the more common two-pusher system.

A further standout attribute of the Marinagraph’s movement is its remarkably low height for an automatic chronograph of only 6.60 mm, enabling the production of particularly thin chronographs like in the 1960s.

Albishorn specifically developed this movement to showcase the brand’s distinctive and unique dial layout, featuring a patented 10-minute retrograde regatta countdown at 7 o’clock and an aperture for a running indicator at 4 o’clock.

Unlike typical regatta chronograph countdown indications, which restart endlessly the countdown once it is over, the one from the Marinagraph was designed to stop once the 10 minutes are over, while the seconds of the chronograph continue running. To reset the countdown indication, the chronograph has to be stopped and reset using the pusher at 9 o’clock.

The Marinagraph is offered at 3,950 CHF, exclusive of taxes and shipping.

This timepiece is available solely through our official online boutique at www.albishorn-watches.ch.

Each version is strictly limited to 99 unnumbered examples, with production carefully paced over three years.

Sales commence on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) / 3:00 p.m. (CEST).

Albishorn Marinagraph: The Imaginary Vintage Regatta Chronograph that Masters Time and Tide

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Case

  • 316 L stainless steel case with polished and satin finished surfaces and with chamfered and polished edges
  • Case diameter: 39 mm
  • Lug to lug: 47,7 mm
  • Lug width: 20 mm
  • Case thickness: 13 mm (with sapphire); 12.1 mm (without sapphire)
  • Sapphire
  • Box sapphire crystal with antireflexive coating

Bezel

  • Bidirectional rotating bezel in stainless steel with aluminium insert featuring tide indication. Green and black with white (Super-LumiNova®) and red markings.
  • Bezel diameter: 42.7 mm

Winding Crown and pusher

  • Stainless steel winding crown with engraved Albishorn logo Pusher in red anodized aluminum

Waterproofness

  • Waterproof to 100 meters

Dial

Classic Racing

  • Sunburst black dial, applied black indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova®

Paraíba Racing

  • Sunburst Paraíba tourmaline green dial, applied black indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova®

Hands

Classic Racing:

  • Silver hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova®
  • Red chronograph seconds hand and minute counter hand filled with white Super-LumiNova® Matching-colored disc as running indicator

Paraíba Racing:

  • Black hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova®
  • Red chronograph seconds hand and minute counter hand white Super-LumiNova® Matching-colored disc as running indicator

Movement

  • Patented proprietary chronograph caliber ALB01 A Self-winding
  • Monopusher
  • Height: 6,60 mm
  • Diameter: 30,00 mm
  • Hours and minutes
  • 60 seconds counter in the center
  • Patented retrograde 10-minute regatta function
  • Running indicator by disc
  • Stop second device
  • 28’800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
  • 25 jewels
  • Typical power reserve: 64 hours

Straps

Classic Racing

  • Black rubber strap with Albishorn buckle Red rubber strap with Albishorn buckle

Paraíba Racing

  • White rubber strap with Albishorn buckle Black rubber strap with Albishorn buckle

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